Glitz, Glamor, and Murder
by ComingAndGoingByBubble
Summary: When I had first moved onto Green Light Street, I hadn't expected things to turn out like this, now everything that had once been was in shambles and ruins. I had witnessed things in the three houses adjacent to me that I could have only conjured up in my wildest nightmares. Scandal, betrayal, true love, tragedy, heartbreak, hopelessness and last but not least untimely death.
1. Chapter 1

It had been just the six of us at one point with some others trailing in and fading out as quickly as they had come. But then slowly, tragically that number dwindled down to five, four, three, two, one…and then none. Technically if we are counting by living human beings then there are three (maybe even four if you believe rumors and that nonsense) of us left but I don't speak with them anymore, not after what happened. I can't even say that if they passed me on the street that I would recognize them anymore.

It had been too tragic, too hauntingly frightening for us to even recall the events that had happened those odd number of years ago. It was in the past now anyways, gone forever, faded away like a distant nightmare.

But I still remember and I can bet my lucky stars that they do too. Now I don't know about the rest of them but I feel an obligation to tell the world what had happened, to tell the world and educate it so a thing like that would never happened again. The world needs to hear this story, no matter how tragic, how horrifying it truly is.

Otherwise, it will just go to waste, vanish into thin air like it never happened and we mustn't let things like that, our own past disappear…

* * *

The Charmed Circle neighborhood had been constructed just outside the Emerald City. With views to die for, houses as big and large as the people who owned them, rock stars and movie stars around every corner, and barons and heiresses I was completely and utterly surprised to find myself stuck in the middle of it with my modest sized house. My house was a gift from the Margereave Tenmeadows who had known my late father and had given it to me when he found out of my father's untimely death. Wedged between mansion after mansion on Green Light Street I found myself fascinated by the extravagant wealth and luxury my neighbors lived in. Though I knew not one person I found myself judging the people that lived there based on the outside of their homes.

A magnificent castle of a mansion stood proudly to the right of my humble house with lace curtains draped behind every window, which seemed like hundreds, fresh white paint covered the exterior and shone like rows of pearly teeth. Golden etching seemed to be in the corners and lines of the house giving it the appearance that it was outlined in gold. Whoever lived in this mansion was wealthy, carefree. It was probably owned by a young heiress and her suitor or husband who spent their nights counting their endless piles of money and participating in frivolous activities that were mainly kept to the bedroom.

The house to the left of mine was old fashioned, with a low roof and simple wooden paneling but its simplicity made it all the more beautiful, at least to me. I imagined an elderly couple living out the last years of their life together in that house.

To the back of my house was a stone castle. A literal castle from the times of Ozma that outstood the face of time, moss overgrowing on its edges, the stone outer-face of it giving off a cold brutal look to it. A hunter, I believed, or a reclusive heart-broken young man could live there.

I couldn't have been more wrong in my imaginings for on my first night there I soon came to find out the true identity of the three houses and the inhabitants of each, forever linking myself to them whether I had wanted to be connected to them or not.

At nine o'clock that evening the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of my new neighborhood was disturbed and broken when all of a sudden it seemed like everyone turned on their lights and blasted sweet jazz music through the air. Many people, all who looked like they lead very different lives, gathered and clustered into each other's houses noisily and boisterously clamoring and shouting. It was as if the neighborhood had come alive with light, music and dancing. I stared out my front window, a glass of whiskey fresh in my hand, onto the scene right in front of me. Women in short skirts, dresses, and revealing tops hung on the arms of their escorts prettily. Men dressed up in suits with ties and shiny shoes.

I quickly realized that this neighborhood was home to the rich and the wealthy, something that I was definitely not. Shadows and figures of people that were complete strangers to me moved about in the night traveling from one house to the other. I couldn't deny that I was curious, captivated by the strange behaviors and customs that were now a part of my life. Did they do this every-night? Why did they throw such grand parties?

All these questions buzzed around in my head and I had no answers to satisfy them with.

Suddenly someone knocked on my door and it startled me greatly. I shakily put down my glass on a nearby table, stumbled over the numerous boxes of my unpacked things that I had spent all day organizing, and opened the door.

"Hi there, cutie. You must be the new guy," purred a woman with hair as black as night and eyes that twinkled like the stars.

"Boq," I stammered out nervously, not sure what else to say, "My name is Boq."

She smiled warmly as she adjusted her black dress that was too short on the bottom and too low on the top, "And how are you liking the neighborhood so far, Boq?" she asked, seductively looping an index finger on the inside of my collar and pulling me closer to her.

I laughed nervously at her question and her actions, "It's… it's very interesting," I said loud enough for her to hear my words above the music.

"That's what you get when you come to Green Light Street here at Charmed Circle. Everything is always _interesting_," she emphasized that last word and looked around his house at the three adjacent homes with a queer look on her face; which faded quickly.

"What's your name?" I asked after a pause, not bothering to ask her what she meant by her previous statement.

"Milla," she answered with a smile, "Just Milla if you don't mind."

Her finger tugged on my collar until I was mere inches from her. I laughed nervously, not sure of what she was about to do to me. To my surprise and relief, all she did was pull me out of my house and into the streets.

"Come on, let's join the party," she said with a mysterious smile and wink towards me.

**This is the product of seeing The Great Gatsby movie twice and wanting to write a Wicked fanfic inspired by it. I'm going to torture you all with Gatsby related fics until I become disenchanted by the movie. Which might be for a while... **

**Hope this was at least interesting for you all to read! I'm really excited about this fic so there will be more soon!**

**Bubble**

**Oh and ps. I uploaded a new chapter to The Main Attraction when the email alerts were down and no one has read it. :(**


	2. Welcome to The Neighbor Hood

Chapter One:

The night air buzzed with sweet music and laughter as I made my way through the sidewalks and streets of my neighborhood. Milla towed me around like a cart, and introduced me to her friends and neighbors as we passed by. They all seemed friendly enough; they all smiled and welcomed me with few words. The area seemed to be alive and teeming with life and I was glad that Milla had dragged me out into it. I would have spent the night in my house if she hadn't gotten me out here.

"Wanna dance?" she inquired as she started to tap her foot the beat of whatever music was playing in the air.

I found myself stuttering as an answer and she took my hand swiftly and we began to dance… well she danced. I tried to dance but ended up dancing like a fool.

We exchanged some more polite conversation, drank some wine together and danced a bit more. As far as first nights go, this one pretty much topped the cake.

A few hours had come and gone and Milla and myself were near the huge water fountain that was placed in the absolute center of the neighborhood. From there I felt like I could see the entire world in just once glance. Couples dancing, talking, fighting, laughing, rejoicing, and singing together in the night. But in that moment I also felt distant from them as well as with them. I found myself particularly attracted to the three houses around me.

"Do you know anything about my neighbors?" I asked as I leaned close to Milla as she daintily sipped on another bottle. I was deeply curious of the houses' occupants. I had never seen this much wealth in such a congested space. Everyone around me seemed to be glimmering with money and importance. And there I was, in the midst of them all, not quite at their level yet.

"What exactly do you want to know?" asked Milla as she threw away the bottle and scooted next to me on the granite edge of the fountain. She leaned her head against my shoulder, a gesture that I was not expecting.

"Anything," I said as I surveyed each house. The grand white one had all of its lights on but no one came out. Instead I could faintly see shadows against the curtain's flimsy covering moving about.

"That one right there," Milla pointed to the one I had been just thinking about," is the property of Mr. and Mrs. Lord and Lady Chuffrey. And when you're not addressing them like royalty their names are William and Glinda."

"I take it you're not too fond of them," I could tell just from her disgusted tone.

"They're the sort of people who shouldn't have that much money. Not to mention the fact that they are constantly fighting all the time. Chuffrey believes that Glinda has got some man in the neighborhood that she's seeing on the side but she won't fess up to it.

"I think I heard of that name before, Glinda. What's her maiden name?" I voiced, my memory jogging at the name.

"She's an Upland." The way Milla said that came across as if the woman's last name had importance and influence and she was right. I remember my father talking about the Uplands; they were rumored to have more money than the Wizard himself.

"And Chuffrey?"

"Some social climbing ass-hole from the North that badgered Glinda constantly until she finally gave in and married him."

"What about the other houses?" I asked, hoping for a change in such vulgar language from Milla.

"The one with the moss belongs to The Thropp residence. Just a father and his two daughters, all grown up now. The eldest is supposed to be a hideous freak. You'll never see her. The second though is a religious nut like her father. She goes to Mass every Sunday and is often seen praying. She's a cripple too, always seen with her father. The eldest daughter isn't allowed out of the house."

"That's terrible," I said as I looked out the house, horrified that such atrocities could take place in such a nice looking home.

Milla shrugged, "The world's a terrible place."

I looked at her, slightly appalled that she said that. I wasn't going to deny it, for it was true. I was just surprised more than anything.

"Tell me about the last house," I pleaded with her after a moment, "And then I think I'll retire for the night."

"You wanna know about the castle?" she asked teasingly, a smile on her face.

"Who lives there?" I pressed, staring up at the magnificent stone structure. I was in awe of it, I had to admit.

"Fiyero Tiggular," she said softly, "The ex-prince. He moved there soon after his family disowned him. That's all I know. He never comes down or out."

"None of them ever come out of their houses?" I said in disbelief. That was just preposterous.

"Never. They all have servants who pop in and out. But the main residents never come out."

"That's insane," I voiced. I looked at the three houses in shock. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to choose to be stuck inside my house forever. I would go crazy.

"They're not like the rest of us," whispered Milla, "They're all a bit off and different. They don't go out of their way to talk to anyone even if they do come out. When Mr. and Mrs. Chuffrey have to go to a meeting or speech, no on ever sees them because they leave at the oddest times. Nessarose, the cripple is only seen during certain hours of the day and at times Fiyero's shadow will be seen in the window of the tower."

"How odd," I mused still looking.

"Odd indeed," agreed Milla. She paused, "That's in part why we have these outrageous parties. Some of us don't believe such people even exist since they've been isolated for so long. We do this to see if one day they'll come out and join us… come out and live for once."

"I don't understand…" I was truly puzzled. In that moment, I didn't even realize that we were the last two people out on the street. Everyone else had taken off, the music still crooning in the background.

"Humans are complex creatures, no one can truly understand our nature and our ways," Milla left me with those parting words as she kissed me on the cheek and bid me goodbye.

I didn't watch her leave, which probably annoyed her. I was still transfixed on my neighbor's houses.

I knew one thing was for certain.

Tomorrow morning I was going to visit each house and introduce myself… even if I had to wait until these ridiculous hours to see them.

**I'm sorry for taking so long with this story. I just couldn't get inspired to write it. But now I am, so hopefully I will updating more often but we will see how the school year goes.**

**Bubble**


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